Bra

ABSTRACT

A bra including:
         an elongated front strap; and   an elongated back strap;   wherein at least one end portion of the back strap is adapted to overlap and be fastened to at least one corresponding end portion of the front strap, so that the bra can be put on and fastened to a wearer&#39;s torso by using a single hand; and   wherein at least one of the end portions of at least one of the front strap and the back strap includes an elongated stiffening element, the stiffening element stiffening the end portion horizontally to maintain a horizontal orientation of the end portion when the bra is hanging on the wearer&#39;s body before being fastened.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is related to Australian Provisional PatentApplication Number 2017904457, filed on 2 Nov. 2017 in the name of BraEasy Pty Ltd, entitled “Bra”, the disclosure of which is herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to bras, and more particularly,to bras for people with limited physical function or ability.

BACKGROUND

A bra, also referred to as a “brassiere”, is an undergarment commonlyworn by women to support the breasts.

A bra typically includes a bra band that wraps around the torso of thewearer, two cups, and shoulder straps. The bra band is usually closed atthe back by one or more hook-and-eye fasteners. Accordingly, fasteningand removal of such a conventional back-closure bra requires the wearerto reach behind her back with both arms, and attach or detach the hooksand eyes of the fastener using both hands.

However, this operation may be difficult or inconvenient for people witha disability in using one of their hands, and may cause pain for peoplewith a disease or injury in one side of their body. For example, peoplewho suffer a brain injury after a stroke may only be able to use onehand or one side of their body, and thus may find it difficult to fastenthe conventional back-closure bra.

It is desired to address or ameliorate one or more disadvantages orlimitations associated with the prior art, or to at least provide auseful alternative.

SUMMARY

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a braincluding:

an elongated front strap; and

an elongated back strap;

wherein at least one end portion of the back strap is adapted to overlapand be fastened to at least one corresponding end portion of the frontstrap, so that the bra can be put on and fastened to a wearer's torso byusing a single hand; and

wherein at least one of the end portions of at least one of the frontstrap and the back strap includes an elongated stiffening element, thestiffening element stiffening the end portion horizontally to maintain ahorizontal orientation of the end portion when the bra is hanging on thewearer's body before being fastened.

The present invention also provides a method including:

fastening a first side of a bra using a first fastener on the firstside;

wearing the bra with the first side fastened under a first arm,supported by shoulder straps of the bra, and another side unfastened;and

fastening a second side of the bra using a second fastener on the secondside and only one hand by applying a pushing force on the second side ofthe bra towards a wearer's torso, wherein the second side is oppositethe first side and under a second arm.

The present invention also provides a bra including:

a front strap for wearing across a wearer's chest; and

a back strap for wearing across the wearer's back;

wherein at least one end portion of the back strap is adapted to overlapand be fastened to at least one corresponding end portion of the frontstrap at the wearer's side, so that the bra can be put on and fastenedto the wearer's torso using a single hand; and

wherein at least one of the end portions of the back strap includes anelongated stiffening element, the stiffening element stiffening the endportion horizontally to maintain a horizontal orientation of the endportion when the bra is hanging on the wearer's body before beingfastened.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Some embodiments are described hereinafter, by way of example only, withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the front of a bra according to afirst exemplary implementation;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the back of the bra according tothe first exemplary implementation;

FIG. 3 is a front view showing the front half of the bra according to asecond exemplary implementation;

FIG. 4 is a back view showing the back half of the bra according to thesecond exemplary implementation;

FIG. 5 is a partial back view showing the back half of the bra and astiffening element being inserted into the back strap in a manufacturingor assembly process;

FIGS. 6 to 9 are sketches of a wearer putting on the bra in a pluralityof steps;

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the front of the bra according toa third exemplary implementation;

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the back of the bra according tothe third exemplary implementation;

FIG. 12 is a front view showing the front half of the bra according to afourth exemplary implementation;

FIG. 13 is a back view showing the back half of the bra according to thefourth exemplary implementation;

FIG. 14 is a partial back view showing the back half of the braaccording to the fourth exemplary implementation; and

FIG. 15 is a back view showing the back half of the bra according to afifth exemplary implementation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

People with an injury, a disability or a disease may have difficulty inusing both of their hands, and thus may be unable to put on or remove aconventional bra by themselves.

Described herein is a bra 100 that allows a wearer to more easily put onand take off the bra using only one hand, being either the left hand orthe right hand.

FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 illustrate a first exemplary implementation of the bra100. The bra 100 includes an elongated front strap in the form of a braband 102, an elongated back strap 104, a cup portion 106 and a pair ofshoulder straps 108 and 110.

The bra band 102, the back strap 104, the cup portion 106 and theshoulder straps 108 and 110 may be made of any suitable material formaking underclothes, e.g., fabric fibres such as nylon, polyester,cotton, Lycra, or any other suitable material.

The cup portion 106 is attached to the bra band 102, which fits aroundthe front part of the wearer's torso when the bra 100 is worn by thewearer. The cup portion 106 includes a centre panel or bridge, and apair of cups or multi-part cups 107, 109 for receiving breasts of thewearer.

The two shoulder straps 108 and 110 extend from the bra band 102 to theback strap 104. Preferably, each of the two shoulder straps 108 and 110includes an adjustment member for adjusting the length of the shoulderstrap 108, 110. The adjustment members may take the form of a buckle112, 114. The buckles 112, 114 may be made of any suitable material thatprovides sufficient mechanical strength for securing the length of theshoulder strap as adjusted, e.g., a plastic or metallic material.

The bra band 102 includes two front end portions 116 and 118 (alsoreferred to as “bra sides” or “wings”).

Correspondingly, the back strap 104 includes two back end portions 120and 122 (also referred to as “bra sides” or “wings”), to which the frontend portions 116 and 118 of the bra band 102 are adapted to be fastenedrespectively, by using fastening members. In this way, the two free endsof the bra band 102 can be overlapping with and secured to the two freeends of the back strap 104 at the wearer's sides under her arms, therebyallowing the bra to fit to the wearer's torso.

The fastening members include at least one fastener, e.g., ahook-and-loop fastener. The hook-and-loop fastener may be, e.g.,hook-and-loop fasteners supplied by Velcro BVBA, e.g., VELCRO®ULTRA-MATE® hook fasteners, VELCRO® sew-on hook and loop fasteners,VELCRO® Soft & Flexible sew-on fasteners. Alternatively, any otherhook-and-loop fastener suitable for being used with flexible fabrics andgarments may be selected.

The fastening members can include a right fastener 124 for fastening thefront right end portion 116 to the corresponding back right end portion120, under a right arm of the wearer, and a left fastener 126 forfastening the front left end portion 118 to the corresponding back leftend portion 122, under a left arm of the wearer.

The right fastener 124 can include a front member 128 attached to aninterior surface of the front right end portion 116, and a back member130 attached to the exterior surface of the corresponding back right endportion 120. Similarly, the second fastener 126 can include a frontmember 132 attached to an interior surface of the front left end portion118, and a back member 134 attached to the exterior surface of thecorresponding back left end portion 122.

The fasteners 124, 126 are hook-and-loop fasteners. The interior-facingones, i.e., front members 128 and 132, are loops, and theexterior-facing ones, i.e., back members 130 and 134, are hooks. Thisarrangement may prevent or reduce the possibility of the hookscontacting the wearer's body, as the exterior-facing fasteners areprovided on the exterior surface of the back end portions 120 and 122.

In this example, each of the front members 128, 132 and the back members130, 134 has a rectangular shape. The front members 128, 132 and theback members 130, 134 may be formed of the same size, or be formed ofdifferent sizes. Preferably, each of the front members 128, 132 with theloops are formed with a larger size than the corresponding back member130, 134 with the hooks. This may allow the hooks on the back members tobe fully covered by the loops on the front members when the bra isfastened, thereby preventing or reducing potential damage to thewearer's clothes caused by the hooks on the back members.

Each of the front members 128, 132 and the back members 130, 134 of thehook-and-loop fasteners may be attached to the corresponding end portionof the bra band 102 or the back strap 104 by any suitable means ofattachment, e.g., sewing, taping, gluing, riveting, or any othersuitable manner of attachment that allows securing the fasteners to thecorresponding end portions.

Each of the end portions 116, 118, 120 and 122 includes a horizontallyelongated stiffening element which stiffens the end portions 116, 118,120 or 122, so that these end portions maintain a horizontal orientationwhen the bra 100 is hanging on the wearer's body by the shoulder straps108, 110 before fastening the two free ends. This may make the fasteningoperation easier for a wearer who can only use one hand because thestiffening element holds one or more of the end portions under theuser's arm at the user's side when hanging on the body before fastening,to mitigate the end portion dropping, or falling away from the body.

The stiffening element may take any suitable form, e.g., one or morebones (also known as “ribs”). The bones may be made of bone, or aplastic or metallic material (e.g., thin ridged pieces of plastic, orwires), and may be attached to the end portions 116, 118, 120 and 122 byany suitable means of attachment, e.g., sewing, taping, gluing,riveting, or any other suitable manner of attachment. Preferably, thebones are covered by fabric, so that they do not directly contact thewearer's body. Preferably, the bones are separated from the wearer'sbody by soft material (e.g., the fabric), which provides more comfortfor the wearer when the bra is fastened. As an example, the end portions116, 118, 120 and 122 may be formed in three layers:

-   -   (1) an inner fabric layer, which may be in direct contact with        the body of the wearer;    -   (2) a stiffening layer including the stiffening element with        only one bone, or only two bones, or at least two bones, or        three bones, or four bones (depending on bra size); and    -   (3) an outer fabric layer, with a hook-and-loop fastener tab        (e.g., a hook member or a loop member) attached to it.

In manufacture of the bra, the stiffening element may be insertedbetween the inner fabric layer and the outer fabric layer, asillustrated in FIG. 5.

As shown in FIG. 2, optionally, the back strap 104 further includes anelastic portion 136 located between the two back end portions 120 and122. The elastic portion 136 is made of an elastic fabric, and thusallows stretching of the back strap 104. In this example, the elasticportion 136 takes the form of an elongated elastic strap. The elongatedelastic strap can include only one piece of elastic material, or two ormore pieces of elastic material, each extending between the two back endportions 120 and 122 (e.g., for larger bras).

Optionally, each of the two cups 107 and 109 of the cup portion 106includes an inner pocket 138, 140 for holding prosthetics (breasts).Alternatively, the inner pocket may only be provided on one of the twocups 107 and 109.

Referring back to FIG. 1, optionally, the cup portion 106 furtherincludes a decorative panel 142, 144 on each of the two cups 107 and109.

FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 illustrate another exemplary implementation of the bra100.

In this implementation, the bra 100 takes a similar form to theimplementation shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.

In this implementation, the front members 128, 132 and the back members130, 134 have a pentagonal shape, e.g., an arrow shape pointing awayfrom the centre panel when unfastened. Alternatively, the front members128, 132 and the back members 130, 134 can be oval, round orrectangular, so long as the shapes of the corresponding members overlapsufficiently for fastening.

In this implementation, each stiffening element includes two parallelbones 146, 148, which extend respectively on or approximate to the upperedge and lower edge of each of the end portions 116, 118, 120 and 122.The horizontal bones 146, 148 may be curved to adapt to thecircumference of the torso of the wearer. The curvature would beselected by sewing the elastic, and the curvature would be the same as astandard bra. As shown in FIG. 4, each pair of bones 146, 148 on theback strap 104 extend in line with a longitudinal direction (i.e.,horizontally when worn), and extend through a joint area on the backsstrap 104 where the corresponding shoulder strap 108/110 and the backstrap 104 are joined. This facilitates the stiffening elements inproviding a stable support to the back end portions 120 and 122 when thebra is hanging on the wearer's body before being fastened.

In this implementation, the bones 146, 148 are sewn to the end portions116, 118, 120 and 122, and covered by suitable fabric, e.g., the samefabric as that of the end portions 116, 118, 120 and 122.

Exemplary Dimensions

The bra may be made in various sizes and dimensions.

For example, the bra band 102 may extend from each side of the cupportion 106 for a length of 10 cm.

The back strap 104 may have a width of 6 cm, and extend from each sideof the elastic portion 136 for a length of 19 cm. The elastic portion136 may have a width of 6 cm, and a length of 8 cm.

In this example, each of the front members 128, 132 and the back members130, 134 of the hook-and-loop fasteners has a pentagonal shape.

The front members 128, 132 may have a length of 4 cm along thelongitudinal direction (i.e., horizontal when worn) of the bra band 102,and a width of 5.7 cm in a transversal direction (i.e., vertical whenworn) of the bra band 102, the transversal direction being perpendicularto the longitudinal direction. The back members 130, 134 may have alength of 4 cm along the longitudinal (i.e., horizontal when worn)direction of the back strap 104, and a width of 5.7 cm along thevertical direction of the back strap 104. The width of the front member128, 132 and/or the back members 130, 134 in the longitudinal (i.e.,horizontal when worn) direction can also be 6 cm, or at least 6 cm, orat least 7 cm, or at least 8 cm, or at least 9 cm, or at least 10 cm.

The bones 146, 148 extend respectively approximate to the upper edge andlower edge of each of the end portions 116, 118, 120 and 122 along thelongitudinal direction of the bra band 102 or the back strap 104. Eachof the bones 146 and 148 on the bra band 102 has a length of 6 cm and awidth of 0.9 cm. Each of the bones 146 and 148 on the back strap 104 hasa length of 19 cm and a width of at least 0.9 cm.

Alternatively, the bra 100 may have any other suitable dimensions tosuit the body size of the potential wearer.

In some implementations, the bra 100 may be provided in different sizesto suit the body size of different wearers.

Use

In use, a wearer with limited physical functionality on one arm/hand orone side of her body may fasten one of the fasteners on hernon-functioning or less-functioning side before putting the bra on herbody. The user may then put on the bra, and fasten the other of thefasteners on her functioning or more-functioning side of her body usingthe functioning hand.

As shown in FIGS. 6 to 9, the wearer may put on and fasten the bra 100using one hand only by the following steps:

-   -   a. Step 1: The wearer fastens the fastener on her        non-functioning or less-functioning side before putting the bra        100 on her body.    -   b. Step 2: The wearer pulls the bra 100 over her head, and wears        the bra 100 by positioning the shoulder straps 108 and 110 on        her shoulders, so that the front and back end portions of the        fastener on the wearer's functioning or more-functioning side        hang against the wearer's torso and against or close to each        other, held in position by the shoulder straps 108, 110 and the        fastened fastener, as shown in FIG. 6. The stiffening elements        on these two unfastened end portions hold these end portions        horizontally and against or close to each other, and the        wearer's torso, prior to being fastened.    -   c. Step 3: The wearer pulls the back end portion 120 or 122 to a        forward location, e.g., with her fingers, then holds the back        end portion 120 or 122 in the forward location against her torso        with the palm heel of her functioning hand, as shown in FIG. 7,        so that the back half of the bra 100 contacts the wearer's body        closely, and the elastic portion 136 may be under some tension.    -   d. Step 4: The wearer grabs the front end portion 116 or 118        with the fingers of her functional hand (while simultaneously        holding the back end portion 120 or 122 in the forward location        against her torso with the palm heel), e.g., by grasping it        between the thumb and the fingers, and pulls the front end        portion 116 or 118 in a backward direction to a backward        location that overlaps the forward location on the torso, i.e.,        pulls the front end portion 116 or 118 backwards towards the        corresponding back end portion 120 or 122, while the palm heel        of her functional hand holds the back end portion 120 or 122, as        shown in FIG. 8, so that the inner side of the front end portion        116 or 118 comes into contact with the outer side of the        corresponding back end portion 120 or 122, thereby fastening one        end of the fastener.    -   e. Step 5: The wearer pushes the fingers or palm of her        functioning hand along the front end portion 116 or 118 towards        the end of the front end portion 116 or 118 (i.e., towards the        wearer's torso), as shown in FIG. 9, thereby fastening the whole        fastener.    -   f. Step 6: The wearer releases her hand from the bra 100, and        the bra 100 is now fastened on her body.

Alternatively, the wearer may fasten the bra on her functioning ormore-functioning side before putting the bra 100 on her body, and thenfasten the bra on her non-functioning or less-functioning side when thebra is hanging on her body, by following steps:

-   -   a. Step 1: The wearer fastens the fastener on her functioning or        more-functioning side before putting the bra 100 on her body.    -   b. Step 2: The wearer pulls the bra 100 over her head, and wears        the bra 100 by positioning the shoulder straps 108 and 110 on        her shoulders, so that the front and back end portions of the        fastener on the wearer's non-functioning or less-functioning        side hang against the wearer's torso and against or close to        each other, held in position by the shoulder straps 108, 110 and        the fastened fastener. The stiffening elements on these two        unfastened end portions hold these end portions horizontally,        and against or close to each other, and to the wearer's torso,        prior to being fastened.    -   c. Step 3: The wearer pulls the back end portion on her        non-functioning or less-functioning side to a forward location,        e.g., with her fingers, then holds the back end portion in the        forward location against her torso with the fingers of her        functioning hand, so that the back half of the bra 100 contacts        the wearer's body closely, and the elastic portion 136 may be        under some tension.    -   d. Step 4: The wearer grabs the front end portion on her        non-functioning or less-functioning side with the fingers of her        functional hand (while simultaneously holding the corresponding        back end portion in the forward location against her torso with        her fingers), e.g., by grasping it between the thumb and the        fingers, and pulls the front end portion in a backward direction        to a backward location that overlaps the forward location on the        torso, i.e., pulls the front end portion backwards towards the        corresponding back end portion, while the fingers of her        functional hand holds the back end portion, so that the inner        side of the front end portion comes into contact with the outer        side of the corresponding back end portion, thereby fastening        one end of the fastener.    -   e. Step 5: The wearer pushes the fingers or palm of her        functioning hand along the front end portion towards the end of        the front end portion (i.e., towards the wearer's torso),        thereby fastening the whole fastener.    -   f. Step 6: The wearer releases her hand from the bra 100, and        the bra 100 is now fastened on her body.

In the above-described ways, the bra 100 can be fastened to the wearer'sbody using only one hand.

To unfasten the bra 100, the user may use one hand to pull the endportions 116 and 120 of the bra band 102 from the end portions 118 and122 of the back strap 104.

In this way, the bra 100 allows a wearer to more easily put on and takeoff the bra 100 using one hand only.

The described bra 100 may be used by any wearer who finds it difficultto operate or fasten a conventional back-closure bra or front closurebra, e.g., people with an injury, a disability, infirmity or suffering adisease such that they have difficulty in using one of their hands orone side of their bodies.

As the bra 100 is generally sized specifically for each person, and nottherefore readily replaceable, having manually openable fasteners onboth sides may assist a second person, e.g., a carer, who is removingthe bra 100 from the wearer, or putting the bra 100 on the wearer, whenthe wearer is seated, e.g., in a wheelchair.

Further, the bra 100 can be put on without the wearer standing up orstepping into the bra 100. This may be particularly advantageous forpeople having difficulties in standing up or moving their legs, e.g., itallows the bra to be put on by a wearer sitting in a wheelchair.

When being put on by one person (e.g., a carer) who dresses the wearerwho is incapable of dressing herself alone, the bra 100 does not requirethe first person to touch the breasts of the wearer at any time. The bra100 can be placed over the shoulders of the wearer whilst in the openconfiguration on both sides. The bra can then be pulled down at thefront to gather the breasts of the wearer without the dresser touchingthe breasts. The bra 100 can then be done up under the arms of thewearer.

As the closure of this bra does not require fine dexterity fingermovement, it is suitable for users with limited ability of making fingermovement.

Variations

In the first and second implementations describe hereinbefore, the backstrap 104 includes the elastic portion 136 located between the two backend portions 120 and 122. However, as described hereinbefore, theprovision of elastic portion 136 is optional. For example, FIG. 10 andFIG. 11 show a third exemplary implementation of the bra 100, in whichthe back strap 104 does not include the elastic portion 136.

In the implementations describe hereinbefore, the fastening membersinclude a first fastener 124 for fastening the front right end portion116 to the corresponding back right end portion 120, and a secondfastener 126 for fastening the front left end portion 118 to thecorresponding back left end portion 122. In some implementations, thefastening members may only include one of the first fastener 124 and thesecond fastener 126, e.g., for use by only people have an injury ordisability on one side. However, providing the fastening members on bothsides may allow the bra to be used by people with limited physicalfunctionality on either left or right side of their body (e.g., variablydue to different injuries or afflictions), and may reduce the overallmanufacturing cost of a plurality of bras.

In some implementations, the fasteners 124, 126 could be replaced and/orenhanced with magnetic fasteners, i.e., a magnet in one portion of eachof the fasteners 124, 126, and a cooperating magnet or magnetic element(e.g., of ferrous metal) in the other portion of each of the fasteners124, 126.

Although in the implementations described hereinbefore, the stiffeningelement is provided on each of the end portions 116, 118, 120 and 122,the stiffening element may alternatively be provided only on the backend portions 120, 122 of the back strap 104: in this implementation, thefront end portions 116, 118 of the bra band 102, which are generallyshorter than the back end portions 120, 122, would hold their shape dueto the hook-and-loop material.

For example, FIG. 12-FIG. 14 illustrate a fourth exemplaryimplementation of the bra 100. In this implementation, the stiffeningelement in the form of a pair of bones is only provided on the back endportions 120, 122 of the back strap 104.

As shown in further detail in FIG. 14, each of the bones is sandwichedbetween two fabric layers of the back strap 104. The two fabric layersare sewn together around the bones so as to fix the bones to theirallocated position, e.g., one bone being positioned proximate to anupper edge of the corresponding end portion, and another bone beingpositioned proximate to a lower edge of the corresponding end portion.

Further, as shown in FIG. 14, the sewing lines for fixing one or more ofthe bones form an containing area 150 (also referred to as a “pocket”)that is at least 5% or 10% longer than the corresponding bone, extendingbeyond each end of the bone when not worn, such that when the bone ispositioned in the pocket, the extra space of the pocket allows thefabric to stretch or shrink without deforming the bone. This allows thebra to better adapt to the wearer's torso when being used. This alsoincreases the service life of the bra.

As shown in FIG. 14, in this implementation, each of the front members128, 132 and the back members 130, 134 of the hook-and-loop fastenershas a rectangular shape.

Further, as shown in FIG. 13, in this implementation, the back strap 104does not include the elastic portion 136.

Further, rather than a pair of horizontal bones, the stiffening elementmay alternatively take any other suitable form. For example, thestiffening element on each of the end portions may be: a singlehorizontal bone or more than two horizontal bones, a rigid strap, aplurality of ribs, or any other suitable form that can maintain ahorizontal orientation of the corresponding end portion when the bra ishanging loosely on the wearer's body before being fastened. Having morethan two bones may allow the bra to be suitable for wearers of a largerbody size, and it provides better support for the end portions whichwould presumably be longer and heavier.

Further, as shown in FIG. 15, in some embodiments, each of the shoulderstraps 108 and 110 may have two branches (108 a, 108 b; and 110 a, 110b) which join the back strap 104 at two joint points (108 c, 108 d; and110 c, 110 d) respectively. The bones 146 and 148 may extend through thearea between the two joint points 108 c and 108 d, and the area betweenthe two joint points 110 c and 110 d. In this way, the trianglestructures provided by the two branches of each shoulder strap and thecorresponding stiffening elements provide more stable support to theback end portions 120 and 122 when the bra is hanging on the wearer'sbody before being fastened.

Interpretation

The reference in this specification to any prior publication (orinformation derived from it), or to any matter which is known, is not,and should not be taken as an acknowledgment or admission or any form ofsuggestion that that prior publication (or information derived from it)or known matter forms part of the common general knowledge in the fieldof endeavour to which this specification relates.

Many modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the scope of the present invention.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS IN DRAWINGS

Reference signs/numbers in the drawings include:

-   -   102 Bra Band (front strap)    -   104 Back Strap    -   106 Cup Portion, including Centre Panel & bridge    -   107 Cups or Multi-part Cups    -   108 Right Bra Strap (shoulder strap)    -   109 Cups or Multi-part Cups    -   110 Left Bra Strap (shoulder strap)    -   112 Right Buckle    -   114 Left Buckle    -   116 Bra Sides or Wings (front right end portion)    -   118 Bra Sides or Wings (front left end portion)    -   120 Bra Sides or Wings (back right end portion)    -   122 Bra Sides or Wings (back left end portion)    -   124 Right Fastener (Velcro Set)    -   126 Left Fastener (Velcro Set)    -   128 front member (Right Velcro Loops)    -   130 back member (Right Velcro Hooks)    -   132 front member (Left Velcro Loops)    -   134 back member (Left Velcro Hooks)    -   136 Elastic    -   138 Left Inner Pocket    -   140 Right Inner Pocket    -   142 Right Cup Upper (decorative panel)3    -   144 Left Cup Upper (decorative panel)    -   146 Upper Bones (or Boning)    -   148 Lower Bones (or Boning)    -   150 Containing areas for bones

1. A bra including: an elongated front strap; and an elongated backstrap; wherein at least one end portion of the back strap is adapted tooverlap and be fastened to at least one corresponding end portion of thefront strap, so that the bra can be put on and fastened to a wearer'storso by using a single hand; and wherein at least one of the endportions of at least one of the front strap and the back strap includesan elongated stiffening element, the stiffening element stiffening theend portion horizontally to maintain a horizontal orientation of the endportion when the bra is hanging on the wearer's body before beingfastened.
 2. The bra of claim 1, wherein the at least one end portion ofthe back strap is adapted to be fastened to at least one correspondingend portion of the front strap by at least one hook-and-loop fastener.3. The bra of claim 2, wherein the hook-and-loop fastener includes: aloop member attached to an interior surface of the end portion of thefront strap or the back strap; and a hook member attached to an exteriorsurface of the end portion of the back strap or the front strap.
 4. Thebra of claim 1, wherein both of the end portions of the front strap orthe back strap include the stiffening element.
 5. The bra of claim 1,wherein at least one of the end portions of the back strap includes thestiffening element, and the end portions of the front strap do notinclude the stiffening element.
 6. The bra of claim 1, wherein thestiffening element includes a pair of horizontal bones extending on orapproximate to an upper edge and a lower edge of each of the endportions
 7. The bra of claim 1, further including: a cup portionincluding two cups for receiving breasts of the wearer, wherein at leastone of the two cups includes an inner pocket for holding a prosthetic.8-11. (canceled)
 12. The bra of claim 2, wherein both of the endportions of the front strap or the back strap include the stiffeningelement.
 13. The bra of claim 12, wherein the stiffening elementincludes a pair of horizontal bones extending on or approximate to anupper edge and a lower edge of each of the end portions.
 14. The bra ofclaim 2, wherein at least one of the end portions of the back strapincludes the stiffening element, and the end portions of the front strapdo not include the stiffening element.
 15. The bra of claim 14, whereinthe stiffening element includes a pair of horizontal bones extending onor approximate to an upper edge and a lower edge of the at least one endportions of the back strap.
 16. The bra of claim 15, further including acup portion including two cups for receiving breasts of the wearer,wherein at least one of the two cups includes an inner pocket forholding a prosthetic.
 17. A method including: fastening a first side ofa bra using a first fastener on the first side; wearing the bra with thefirst side fastened under a first arm, supported by shoulder straps ofthe bra, and a second side unfastened; and fastening the second side ofthe bra using a second fastener on the second side and only one hand byapplying a pushing force on the second side of the bra towards awearer's torso, wherein the second side is opposite the first side andunder a second arm.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the one hand ison the second arm.
 19. The method of claim 18, wherein fastening thesecond side of the bra further includes: holding a back end portion ofthe second fastener with a palm of the hand; and grasping a front endportion of the second fastener with fingers of the hand.
 20. A braincluding: a front strap for wearing across a wearer's chest; and a backstrap for wearing across the wearer's back; wherein at least one endportion of the back strap is adapted to overlap and be fastened to atleast one corresponding end portion of the front strap at the wearer'sside, so that the bra can be put on and fastened to the wearer's torsousing a single hand; and wherein at least one of the end portions of theback strap includes an elongated stiffening element, the stiffeningelement stiffening the end portion horizontally to maintain a horizontalorientation of the end portion when the bra is hanging on the wearer'sbody before being fastened.